Continuing their drive against prostitution in the city, the police social service (SS) branch raided a flat and a beauty parlour in the city on Friday. HT reports.

Continuing their drive against prostitution in the city, the police social service (SS) branch raided a flat and a beauty parlour in the city on Friday.

In the first incident, a flat in Samukh Heights in Oshiwara was raided, and police arrested one operator and rescued three girls.

Police also searched Chahat beauty parlour in Kandivli, again arresting one operator and rescuing three girls. The police have registered cases under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA).

In another case, the SS branch raided a bar in Byculla early on Saturday morning. They arrested 24 persons, including a cashier, a watchman, six waiters, five bar girls and ten customers.

The police said that five women were engaged in obscene acts with customers in the bar.

The women were allowed to leave under section 46 (a woman cannot be arrested after sunset or before sunrise, except in exceptional circumstances) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) while the accused were booked under section 294 (obscenity) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Officials also seized Rs.64,350 in cash.